1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for detecting obstacles for rail vehicles, comprising a pilot that is attached to the truck (bogie) of a rail vehicle via a mounting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A foreign object on the railroad track can pose a significant hazard in the event of a collision. Pilots (rail) guards with which an obstacle can be cleared from the line have therefore long been employed in railroad systems. A pilot usually consists of a steel structure having a collision beam at right angles to the direction of travel. The collision beam is fixed to the main frame of the rail vehicle or to the truck frame via a mounting bracket. Various regulations concerning the construction and operation of a rail vehicle stipulate that such a pilot must be disposed in front of the leading wheelset and as closely as possible to the top of the rail.
EP 2 548 783 A2, for example, proposes a collision detection system for a rail vehicle in which a pilot is mounted via a mounting bracket, where, if a predefined collision intensity is exceeded, then a guided displacement of the pilot with respect to the mounting bracket is enabled. Obstacle detection in the sense of differentiated sensing of the collision object is not therefore possible.
The disadvantage of the conventional pilots is that information concerning the collision can only be provided in the form of a yes/no decision. If the intensity of the collision is below a predefined threshold value, then the impact is not registered at all. If the impact intensity was greater, then its actual magnitude remains unknown.
Rail vehicle operators, however, are increasingly demanding that an obstacle detection system sense a collision in a more differentiated manner. For example, the obstacle detection system must be capable of detecting a predefined mass limit value, such as 5 kg, as reliably as possible and if necessary initiate emergency braking of the rail vehicle.